Mastitis is the most common and costly disease in dairy farming, causing significant pain and reduced welfare in affected cows, with well-proven prevention protocols that are inconsistently applied.
Mastitis causes genuine and often severe pain in affected dairy cows. Acute clinical mastitis - with swollen, hot udder quarters, systemic toxaemia, and reduced milk production - causes distress that is visible even to an untrained observer. Subclinical mastitis, detected only through somatic cell count, causes chronic discomfort that affects welfare without clinical signs. Prevention through the Five-Point Plan, prompt treatment when cases occur, and welfare-driven culling of chronic non-responders are the evidence-based management actions. Consumer demand for certified dairy products with mastitis rate benchmarks as a welfare indicator creates market accountability.